E-grāmata: Letters from Cuba

A delightful, heartfelt book about holding on to who you are and where youre from when far from home, and the joys and benefits of welcoming other cultures and communities into your own. Will reaffirm your faith in humanity.Alan Gratz, author of Refugee

This is a quiet story of determination, and an openly loving tribute to the authors grandmother, who made the real journey that inspired Esthers fictional one.The New York Times Book Review

* Pura Belpré Award winner Behars newest story is based on her own grandmothers immigration journey. Eleven-year-old Esther bravely travels to Cuba from Poland to help her father earn enough money for the rest of their family to join them, including her mother, grandmother, three brothers, and cherished sister Malka. The narrative is told in a series of letters from Esther to Malka, chronicling her journey across the sea and her experiences in this new homeland. . . . Throughout the story, readers learn that many Jewish people are arriving in Cuba, trying to escape the Jewish persecution in Europe, despite Nazi sympathy infiltrating the island. Readers dive into the story headfirst as they get to know Esther, her family, and her newfound friends. Esthers first-person descriptions of people and the island craft a vivid experience of Cubas sights, sounds, and culinary delights. Readers will not want to part with this story of resilience. A World War II refugee tale that spotlights dedicated hard work. A must-have.School Library Journal, starred review

* After three years abroad, Papas saved only enough money to send for one of his children. Thus Esther boards the steamship alone even though shes not quite 12. Cuba is a constant surprise. . . . In glowing letters to her sister back in Poland, Esther details how shes learning Spanish through the poems of José Martķ. She introduces her sister to her beloved new friends. . . . Esthers first year in Cuba is marked by the calendar of Jewish holidays, as she wonders if she can be both Cuban and a Jew. As the coming war looms in Europe, she and her friends find solidarity. . . . An authors note describes how the story was loosely inspired by the authors own family history. Warmhearted cross-cultural friendship for a refugee on distant shores: both necessary and kind.Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Esthers poignant letters to her sister reveal the heartbreaking stories of the peoplethe displaced, the downtrodden, the dreamersshe meets along her journey, even as she exposes injustices among class and religion and within ethnic groups, all in parallel to her familys experience in 1938 Poland. Belpré-winning Behars epistolary novel, based on a true story, addresses identity, family dynamics, culture, tradition, and acceptance as loving Esther opens her heart to her friends and neighbors in Agramonte while learning about issues both in her new home and abroad. Complemented by a vibrant supporting cast and an extensive authors note about the Holocaust and Cuban refugees, Esthers tale is one of adaptation and perseverence . . . while also fighting for her rights and for peace in her new home.--Booklist 

The story is in some ways refreshingly optimistic. . . . Behar creates a welcome portrait of a warm, diverse communityone that supports the family members when they do face local antisemitism. . . . But the novel doesnt paint an overly sunny picture. . . . An authors note cites connections to Behars family history and to Karen Hesses Letters from Rifka.Horn Book

Inspired by her own grandmothers life, Behar (Lucky Broken Girl) crafts a series of loving letters from Esther to her sister, describing the perilous journey and Esthers first year in Cuba. . . . Global issues such as Hitlers rise, anti-Semitism, slavery, and worker protests are neatly woven into Esthers narrative. . . . Behars appreciative descriptions of Cuba and Esthers close, protective bonds with her father and sister make for an engaging read.Publishers Weekly